Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-04-17
whole message is forcible and opposite

ga great reform has certainly been &C.
complished in Kansas. Intemperance is
steadily and surely decreasing. IL thou
sands CT homes, where want and wretch
edness and suffering were once familiar
guests, plenty, happiness and content
ment now abide. Thousands of wives
and children are better clothed and fed
than they were when the saloons absorbed
all the earnings of husbands and fathers,
The marvellous material growth of the
state during the past six years has been &C
cOmpanied by an equally marvellous moral
progress, and it can be fairly and truthfully
asserted that in no portion of the civil
lied world can l 100000 people be found
who are more temperate than the people
of Kansas.
"Tne public sentiment Of Kansas is over
whelming against the liquor traffic.
Thousands OF men who a few years ago
opposed prohibition, or doubted whether
it was the bestmethOd of dealing with
the liquor traffic, have seen and frankly
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS benihcent results and it's
practical success. The temptations with
which the open saloons ailured the youth
of the land TO disgrace and destruction;
the appetite for liquor, bred and matured
within its walls by the treating custom,
the vice, crime, poverty, Suffering and
sorrow of which it is always the fruitful
source, ell tbase evil results of sine open
saloon have&heen abolished in nearly
every city and town in Kansas"
Fellow citizens, the truth is the most
powerful and aggressive Of all weapons
that can be used TO convince d people
struggling to fad the path Of duty. Gov
ernor MaSlu, under the solemnity of
his Official osth, addressed the above to
the Legislature of Kansas, and it may be
relied on as the truth. The re ults in
Kansas are worth thousand times more
than the empty.deClarauOns OF the liquor
men to the contrary. You will fad this
great power exerting itself to overcome
the will Of the people and steal away
their ressJn. The energy and inspira-
tieH of thousands in this state are drawn
from the power, influence and money of
those engaged in the same business be-
yOnd. Texas. This is controlled by a few
menJApdy1O monarch IN the East gives
his commands with more confidence and
authority. These men and COrOOratiOnS
are banded together to repeI the common
danger to the liquor traffic. They hold
the maGeZ1hes Of supplies outside the
state, and order their allies here when
and how to conduct the campaign.
The Anheusec-Busch Brewing AssOCia-
ton Of St. Louis, March ), 1887, issued
its commands to the liquor traffic men of
Texas from which | quote some extracts ::
"a regular canvass should be organ
lied, with a central committee and with
county committees, for collecting funds
TO defray expenses, conduct the cam
paign, secure the leading journals of the
press, and to engage and 10 select good
speakers ="
90 Therefore, a thorough or
ganization of all elements opposed TO pro-
addition is required in each county and
| district, even each precinct should be
thoroughly Canvassed, SO tnat our friends
should be able to know, nearly, before
the election on how many votes they can
confidently count in each district, and on
the day of the election good men should
be stationed at the polls and see that our
friends vote right, and see that all come
to the polls, and, if necessary, have We
hiCles ready to send for them :"
So Go, therefore, to work with
other friends, and perfect an organization,
as Set forth, all over the state as speedily
and thoroughly as possible. You can
count on our full aid and support = :"
/ Now examine this carefully; see the
Edate-the meeting of liquor men in Aus
tin; their call for convention in May
the letters of Mr.. Gibbs to distinguished
speakers; then the sudden clipping" of
some of the press; the sudden decision
made by certain leaders, whose minds
we're before undecided; then look
at the methods proposed for organ
iZatiOn, canvass and guarding the polls
at the election. l wonder if there is any
relation between the circular command
and the letters in search of speakers,
meetings and the convention in Texas?
Some one suggests the possibility of
some sort Of "stilI-WOrm," underground
connection between the organization of
the liquor men in Texas and the "barrel''
Of the great liquor houses and brewing
associations beyond the state. If this
fact is established, the nOn-interferenCe
idea of saloon men is answered.
Fellow citizens, we are enlisted in a
great eause-One to reform our institu
tons, Tassen the burdens of the people,
and secure better government; and if we
succeed it will prove the greatest bless
ing Of this age to our great common
wealth.
Let US invite every person, of every
age, color and sex, and of every shade Of
political and religious belief, who desire
the elevation of Che human race, the pro-
lection of society and the purity of the
ballot, stronger guarantees for civil lib
crty, our homes and families redeemed
from the curse Of liquor and its slavery,
and our Empire State placed upon a
higher and more solid plane OF prosperity
and happiness, to Join Us in this reform
and aid in the adoption of the prohibition
amendment by q decisive and overwhelm-